PHANTOM RULER'S THRONE IV:

Clients and Businesses

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"Raeve!"

The bi-colored-haired boy did not respond to the familiar voice that called his name. The underground bar was full of people tonight and it did not take long for the noises in the background to drown his name into a faint sound.

He focused his eyes on the cards in his hands. They were good enough for him to surely take home the win tonight. Not a lot of money, perhaps would be enough for a day or two. But hey, he can't be too picky when he only needs to play smart to get it.

And besides, money is money.

He looked at the players around the table. All of them were drunk good-for-nothings that loitered in the alleys in Oakcross–the place that births social rejects. He would know, of course, he did live there as well. He was lucky tonight that there were no big shots that joined his table. He would not be beaten to death if he offended one of them by winning.

"Ugh fucking bitch. Jinxed me so bad, I couldn't even win a single game tonight," one of the drunks with a shaved head cussed loudly. He must be pertaining to his wife who was nagging him half an hour ago, screeching at him to come home and stop blowing their remaining money by gambling it away.

Raeve almost felt bad for taking away the said money. The poor lady was already suffering for marrying a stinky drunk. But meh, it was a dog-eat-dog kind of world. It's either him or someone else who starves tomorrow, and he did want to sleep with something in his belly tonight.

"That's what you get for fucking some random whore on the streets," the other drunk with a huge scar on his forehead replied, laughing with his mouth open as he leisurely flicked his cards, probably confident that his hands were good enough to secure a win.

When it was time to show their hands, Raeve let them go first. He loved seeing gamblers' faces morph from victorious into that of defeat, after all.

"Hah! Aren't I just lucky tonight?" scarface exclaimed, seeing how none of the cards on the table could beat his. He was already about to collect his winnings when Raeve put down the cards on his hands, spoiling the short-lived victory and savoring how the man's smile faded slowly when he realized his card did not stand a chance.

"I'm afraid I'm luckier, my respectable sir," he stated with a friendly smile. There was nothing respectable about the drunkards in front of him, but still, a little bit of flattery goes a long way.

The man with a scar clicked his tongue as the others at the table guffawed at his loss. Raeve was ready to catch a punch or two, or perhaps jump if the table was flipped over in anger. However, he had already pocketed the few pieces of copper he won and there was still no outburst. He took it as another stroke of his luck tonight.

"I heard you folks have some freak ability, is that true?" Raeve's hands stopped moving after hearing that question.

You folks?

He almost guffawed out loud by the statement. It has been a long time ever since he has accepted how ridiculous people can be. He stopped getting riled up after numerous times he was addressed as such. He learned to live with it now.

"Oh, yes, gentlemen. It was not just a rumor, you see," he answered with a polite smile and the drunks stirred in their seats in excitement.

"Show us some tricks eh?" one of them demanded but Raeve simply chuckled.

"Come on, dear sir. If I showed my tricks so easily, it would not be special. You know we don't do it free around here, don't ya?" he clasped his hands together, beaming at the drunks with a wide but polite smile. He was prepared to be met with rejection, of course. It would not be too surprising for these people to be cheapskates and Raeve thought it was fine. He had the earnings of the day. He will eat with or without additional money.

Scarface clicked his tongue and reached for his pocket for a few more coppers before slamming them down on the table.

Additional money is always welcome.

Raeve happily shoved the money inside the safety of his pockets as Baldy leaned in front of him curiously, as though what would come out of his mouth was something that he derived from his forgotten childhood fantasy.

"Is it true that your kind cannot feel pain?" the man asked, his voice somewhat a little quieter than before which the bi-colored-haired boy appreciated even though it was a little difficult to understand amidst the ear-shattering noise scattered inside the underground bar. He did not exactly want more audience for what he was about to demonstrate.

He opened his arms leisurely, coming off as harmless and unbothered. "Test your curiosity, my dear sir. Why, of course, only on this side, I'm quite plain on the other side, as you can see," he reckoned, pointing at his albino side.

Seeing how the bald man cracked his knuckles with a creepy smile, Raeve braced himself. He clenched his teeth as hard as he could, a trick he learned through harsh circumstances. It does not make the pain any less in his opinion, just prevents his jaw from flying off his skull. It would pretty much put him out of commission for a couple of days based on previous experiences. That being said, he starved. Not something he wanted to try once more.

Without further warning, the baldy's fist collided with his right cheek, an explosive pain shaking his brain to the core that he wobbled in his seat. Still, Raeve took the blow without flinching even a bit, showing no signs of discomfort on his face. He sat still as though he was simply caressed by an infant, watching as the two drunks waited for him to make a slip.

"Damn, kid. Ya wouldn't be fun to beat, would ya?" Scarface looked at him in awe as he did his best to keep his breathing steady and calm while simply cracking his neck with ease.

"I am telling you, Sir. It would be tiring for you," he answered with a smile, forced yet not even a hint of strain. He has been in this business for years now, he can say that he is already a field professional.

"That's impossible. Perhaps I didn't hit you hard enough—"

"Raeve!"

Hearing the familiar voice calling his name, Raeve immediately stood up. Finally, an opportunity to escape the company of the drunks. And certainly, the fate of being hit until the said drunks are satisfied.

"How unfortunate," he blurted, faux sadness traced in his tone. "I'm afraid I must go." He did not let the drunks answer and simply swept his feet away from the table, searching for the voice that called him amidst the crowd.

"Thank Goddess, I was looking everywhere!" Lionel greeted him as soon as he spotted him from across the bar, shoving his way through the bodies twice bigger than him. Raeve almost winced when a big muscle man almost elbowed the boy in the face had he not ducked in time to avoid the hit.

As natural as breathing, Raeve grabbed the boy's shoulder and guided—dragged—him out of the bar while also gently shielding him away from the push of the crowd, protecting him from any upcoming elbow or bone-crushing shoves. He was resting his hand on the younger boy's head, his fingers cradling the brown locks as he swerved his body to where he wanted him to go.

When they finally got out of the bar, he turned to the boy with a smile. "Now, what are you doing here, little lion?" he demanded answers and the nerve of the child to scratch the back of his head. It was as though he did not just enter a place infested with criminals who would not blink if a kid was stabbed in front of them. Much more an orphan from the slums.

"I was looking for you." The brown-haired boy laughed light-heartedly which earned him a flick on the forehead from Raeve. A funeral does not cost much, people like them are simply buried in the dumpster or in the mountains, but he did not want a dead child in his hands.

"What did I tell you?" he asked, watching Lionel groan as he rubbed the place where he was hit.

"Midmire is off-limits..." the boy mumbled, almost inaudible.

"Right. The little ones might do it as well, they would be dinner for the slum addicts inside this hellhole." Raeve clicked his tongue, spinning on his heel to walk towards the bustling lights of the central square where the life of Auxiviel is concentrated. Lionel followed him like a hatchling, of course.

"But I am almost old enough--!"

"Uh-uh. 'Almost' is not there yet. You can come down to Midmire once you turn fifteen," Raeve cut his statement off. Midmire is the hidden haven of criminals in Auxiviel. It is a place that accepts peasants and bigshots alike, as long as they can cough up anything to gamble. And no one is too poor to not possess anything. After all, the shadiest people of Midmire like it when lives are at stake. Bet either money or a body. Both work just fine.

"That's unfair! You started entering Midmire when you were twelve! The others told me!" the younger boy huffed in protest, marching his feet as he followed next to him.

Raeve chuckled heartily. "That is how I knew that Midmire is not kind to twelve-year-olds, Little Lion," he replied, extending his hand to ruffle the boy's hair who begrudgingly stilled his head.

"Don't go, I get... hungry when you... leave..."

"I will go get you food, idiot. Lay down! You are still sick!"

"Where are you... going?"

"Midmire pays good money."

"But you're twelve, Rashaan..."

"Let us go home. I have enough for food tomorrow," Raeve urged, continuing to walk the path on their way home, shrugging off some memories creeping through his mind.

"You were selling your body again, huh?"

The older boy almost guffawed out loud hearing Lionel's statement as the boy pointed at his own cheek, mirroring Raeve's. The bruise must have started to show.

"Now, if you put it that way, people might get the wrong idea." Raeve chortled, amused. "I was simply showing tricks for a couple more coppers. Besides, it goes away in a couple of minutes or so," he added, rubbing the skin around the place where it was stinging. It was almost like he was having a headache. However, he is not in the right place to complain. The intense pain is simply what he got in exchange for the fast healing.

"Then let's go to the town square! I heard the king brought back a noble lady from Kriseon. The Centro has been bustling more ever since. It was what I wanted to tell you but you started scolding me first," Lionel grumbled like the child he was although he immediately brightened up once again thereafter.

"I will show you how my skills have improved!" he declared before grabbing Raeve by his hand and dragging him towards the direction of the town square. The older boy simply chuckled at the brunette's antics and allowed him to haul him wherever the child wanted.

The town square was even livelier than usual. Raeve could still remember how the whole country's enthusiasm was dampened by the war a couple of months before. Although, in all honesty, having a new king did not really change anything for people like them. They still starve if they stop moving for a day due to sickness brought on by malnutrition. The coup was not a loud one. It was silent, it was quick, and only those in power were involved. Raeve was relieved for that at least. The higher society might as well ignore them during these times too.

The slums are a forgotten place. It is a stain on the kingdom that everyone wishes to erase from their mind, as though no infants are abandoned in there by worthless parents, as though the orphanage does not dump the ones who can already fend for themselves in that place so that they would no longer be another mouth to feed. Raeve did not feel guilty for stealing chump change from nobles to keep himself alive.

After arriving in the square and walking for a little bit, he was elbowed by Lionel. "Look! Raeve! That lady is shining with jewels! She must have a lot of money, right?" he whisper-yelled, pointing at a beautiful young lady wearing a cloak.

There was no doubt that she belonged to the upper class judging by the way she was dressed. She must have been a sheltered noblelady who snuck out of her mansion to stroll around. That must mean the man who was walking next to her was her knight or someone capable of protecting her.

"We will be set for a couple of weeks," Raeve heard Lionel comment dreamily before he swiftly walked towards the lady. However, Raeve felt off. No noble lady is stupid enough to flaunt those big jewels in the middle of the square practically begging to be mugged if they are only there for a stroll.

"Little Lion stop—!"

He was too late as Lionel already 'accidentally' bumped into the noble lady. After that, everything happened in a blink of an eye.

Now he found himself standing in front of an expensive-looking diner a little bit far away from the crowded streets of the Centro. Standing next to him was the noble lady, the tall, creepy gentleman who was manhandling Lionel to her right side.

The lady hummed, sounding pleased. "I did say a decent restaurant," she said to herself before stepping ahead of them to enter the said diner. "Fine. This is okay," Raeve heard her add.

Noticing how Raeve did not follow her promptly, the raven-haired lady looked back and raised her brow in question. "You don't possibly think that having you lead me to a food place is the end of the deal, do you?" she asked, in return, the boy replied with a smile.

"The owner of this place is quite picky when it comes to customers, my lady," he responded which only made the ravenette scoff.

"Figures," she muttered and turned her back on him once again. "Come, anyway. Don't think you can escape just yet," she remarked and stepped inside the diner when the doors opened for her.

Raeve stood there uncertainly until he felt the man holding Lionel lean closer to him. He did not notice him approach him at all.

"I wonder what sin you committed to be involved with that witch, honestly." The man's gaze felt deeply unsettling. There was something about his void-like eyes that made Raeve shift on his feet and look away. His eyes were a pair of black that did not have any other tint to it and it was as though the light that came from magic stone around them avoided his pupils. They looked dead.

"But don't think of running," he said. "She'll know where to look." His tone was not threatening at all, it was more like a light-hearted warning. However, it did not make him sound any less intimidating due to their difference in height. Even so, having a child who was squirming around in his arm made him look a little ridiculous.

The man stood straight, giving him back his space before bursting out laughing as though he heard the most hilarious thing ever known to mankind. Raeve, for once, did not know whether he should play along as a way of sucking up or to look offensively at the man. In the end, he chose to stand still awkwardly, watching the raven-haired with a mix of exasperation and unsettledness.

"Child, I was kidding. Not in the first sentence though, but don't tell her that," he cackled before giving him a fairly light slap on his back. "Hurry up, kid. The witch's patience is not the best."

And so Raeve quietly sucked in a deep breath before pushing himself towards the door of the diner. He braced himself for one of the staff to yell at him for entering the establishment the moment he stepped inside, however, he was not greeted by any kind of hostility. Instead, he was approached by a man he presumed to be one of the staff for an entirely different reason.

"Please, follow me," said the man, gesturing at him politely as he led him to the upper floor where not a single customer was sitting except for the mysterious lady who occupied one of the fancy tables.

It was not too long before the said lady noticed their presence. She looked at him and at the chair in front of her, indicating that she wanted him to sit which he obeyed without protests. Of course, the tall man who carried Lionel followed suit, settling on the seat next to the lady with a much more well-behaved Lionel keeping to himself, a contrast to the child who thrashed around earlier as if he was gonna skinned alive if he could not free himself.

"Anything you can't eat?" the lady asked, her eyes glued on the menu that the diner worker handed her. Now that Raeve thought about it, this lady did not talk like an aristocrat in the slightest.

Lionel vibrated in his seat in excitement, glancing at him with stars in his eyes. "We're also allowed to eat?"

"Am I supposed to have you watch me while I swallow?" The lady raised a brow at them, her tone sounded different than any Raeve had ever heard.

It was only then that he was able to take a proper look at her. Her eyes were the color of gold although they lacked the luster of one. She was beautiful, to say the least. However, Raeve's right eye, his albino side trembled as though trying to make sense of the face she was wearing.

"We apologize, my lady. What this dear child meant was, we cannot afford anything in this place. We cannot possibly–" Raeve tried to apologize but it was cut off by the lady.

"I'm feeding you," she told him, he once again picked up a hint of a foreign tone in her voice. "Now answer," she added, urging them quickly in impatience.

Raeve was silenced when the realization dawned on him slowly.

"Can we, really?" Lionel asked eagerly, the lady simply waved her hand at the menu, signaling him to pick whatever he liked which the little child took upon himself without a hitch.

Raeve, on the other hand, did not know whether to applaud his luck that he came across a wealthy person who seemed to want to hire him for a job or grovel because the same luck had him meeting a possibly foreign aristocrat from the beast lands.

He connected the hints he was able to notice of course. His cursed side was as sensitive as it can get when it comes to magic, and the fact that the lady's appearance came off as strange to his eye was an indication that it was nothing but a disguise. Her accent was almost the same as the locals, but if one listened closely, hers was different, like someone who came from another country imitating their way of speaking.

Auxiviel is magically diverse in itself as it was once a center of trade before the royal family made it a closed country, protecting itself from outside interference. Hence it was also a possibility that the lady simply possessed an illusion-type magic because she was not from outside. However, the way she glanced around the Centro looked like someone who had never stepped foot in this place.

She can also be an aristocrat from the distant countryside, but all the nobles outside the capital are nothing but people with titles as the previous King gathered all the rich families in the central city to fund his disgustingly lavish lifestyle. The deposed tyrant wanted all the noble family with acceptable treasury to stay near where he always hosted fancy parties.

The lady cannot be a poor noble with the amount of jewels littered across her body as if they were nothing. Each of those stones could be a family heirloom.

It only meant that she was from the outside, and considering that Auxiviel does not authorize foreign visits, it is most likely that these people illegally crossed the transportation gate without the royal knights' knowledge.

Raeve is not a fool enough to test their wits when they have enough to pass through the royal inspection. He had no choice but to obey as it also meant they possessed the power to support their overflowing confidence.

"May I know who am I having the pleasure of meeting?" he asked politely, careful not to step on the tail of a ferocious dog.

"Anastasia," she replied. There was a split second of hesitation that anyone could have missed, Raeve noticed it, anyway. "This is Ares." She gestured at the man who sat next to her, he was looking at her with a hint of surprise in his eyes but immediately brushed it off, his former expression coming back on his face.

"What can I do for you, my lady?" he started. He has already entered a monster's den, might as well get what he can get his hands on.

"I'm looking for some people," Lady Anastasia answered, her gaze oddly lingered on him as though examining his appearance.

Lionel who was quietly buzzing in his seat opened his mouth to speak. "Raeve is good at that! He knows everyone! He knows the people who know those he does not know, too!"

"Little lion, it's rude to interrupt the grown-ups' conversation," Raeve reprimanded with a playful click of his tongue before turning to the lady once again with a smile. "But as he said, my lady. You are in luck, my forte involves connections. How may I help you?"

Lady Anastasia's forefinger tapped on the table before replying. "The underground battle ring. The fight till death kind."

Raeve looked at her in mild surprise. She did not come off to him as someone who watched violence unfold as entertainment. And surely, no sane person illegally enters a closed country to simply watch slaves fight each other to death. Now, he really was first guessing whether the lady was actually from another kingdom or not because how come she knew of an illegal activity that not even most locals knew of?

"Not a lot of people knew about it," he hesitated. Normal folks are not aware of the horrendous death arena that operated during the night. Mostly those with sick hobbies who have a lot of money to dispose of and those who worked in that place had an idea of what kind of horrible things happen inside.

Raeve only knew of it because he was often around Mindmire where a lot of those sick people frequented. And of course, he knew about it because his kind is a perfect candidate for an underground battle ring. No family, no official identity. Nobody will search for a peasant even if they disappear.

"I want to go there," Lady Anastasia insisted causing hesitation to bubble inside Raeve. He liked the money, yes. However, he did not like it enough to risk his life. It would be basically throwing his body to the wolves.

"That is... quite dangerous. I'm afraid–"

He was interrupted by a bag of money thrown on the table. The coins inside the bag created the most beautiful sound, gracing his ear. He knew that only gold coins were capable of making those precious sounds.

"Son of the ravens..." he heard Lionel gasp next to him.

"Afraid of what?" The lady looked at Raeve blankly and he was quick to recover from his crippling doubt.

"Of my service being inadequate to my lady's liking, but I will do my best, of course! May I hear more of the details?" because life was all about risks, was it not?

Well, Raeve was a coward but he surely was not stupid to refuse that amount of money. If they stretched it enough, it could last them a couple of years without having to steal on the streets. They could buy better clothes for the winter and perhaps some nicer bedding for everyone. The little kids needed to eat a lot, too.

Raeve thought about everything he could use the money for as the food that Lionel swooned for arrived.

"There are people I wish to find," Lady Anastasia started once again. "If you make yourself useful enough that I find them with your help, I'll give you more of what you need."

Raeve's stomach was jumping in anticipation. Sign him up for more money, he is not to complain any time soon. Of course, he had measurements for things like this. He learned not to enter a deal that can be broken at any time.

"That is quite a heavy deal, my lady. Something that requires magic so that the other cannot go back on their words." He pulled out a rolled-up piece of parchment from a pocket attached to his belt. He spent quite a big portion of his earnings in it and it was fortunate that he could use it for something worthwhile.

A magic contract.

"Smart kid," the man–Sir Ares– snorted with an amused smirk. He was sitting leisurely on his chair, his arm nonchalantly resting on the backrest.

"Thank you, dear sir. I hope I did not come across as offensive," Raeve preened, somewhat happy with the praise he was given. He set down the magic contract on the empty space on the table, sliding it across Lady Anastasia's reach.

"Not at all, but I do need you to swear to me to be fair." The lady looked at the paper flatly as she signed, giving off an uncaring demeanor that did not alert any bells in Raeve's mind.

He could swear, of course. After all, a business runs on trust and Raeve is not one to let his client go uneasy. He smiled at her carefreely and spoke.

"Of course, my lady! I swear on my life that I will not deceive you–...!!"

It was then that a burning sensation caught him off guard. His left hand instinctively reached towards the sting on the back of his left ear. It was not painful, per se–he has had much worse–but the horror dawned on him the moment he realized what was happening.

"Now, that is foolish." Sir Ares snickered, sounding more amused than he was before.

The astounding display of magic left him speechless. It was one of a kind and Raeve would be damned if he said he has never heard of it before. It was the kind that only an ancient cult that followed a mad woman over hundreds of years ago could execute. That was a story passed on by the word of the mouth. Coming from the senile old folks in the back alley, those who have been around before Auxiviel was declared a closed country by their tyrant king.

"...Binding magic," was all Raeve could mutter.

"I didn't intend to go as far as to have you swear on your life, but it works, too."

For a second, Raeve could swear that he saw a taint of crimson bleeding into the golden irises that stared at him with mild interest. It all disappeared after the lady blinked once and Raeve did not know if it was because of the magic that he was starting to hallucinate.

However, as much as he could feel his blood running cold, he could also hear the loudness of his heartbeat as his heart tried to jump out of its cage. The urge to follow the dangerous woman burned into him like the little tattoo of a snake inked on the skin behind his ear.

"Thank you for sparing this child's life, my lady. May the ravens guide your path and bring abundance to your door."

Raeve respectfully lowered his head with a smile plastered across his face as he bid the pair his goodbyes. The two did not intend to stay for long and simply instructed him and Lionel to finish their food as they were leaving first. Raeve, being the businessman that he was, insisted that he see them outside to be polite.

"Just so you wouldn't forget. You swore, and I'm guessing you value your life. Keep it in mind," Lady Anastasia reminded him once again as she held the hood of her cloak, getting ready to put it over her head.

Raeve gave her a confirming nod before speaking once more. "When shall I see you next time, my lady?"

"Tomorrow night. Same time, in front of the town square's clock tower," the lady answered before turning her back, Sir Ares, who threw him an acknowledging look walked closely on her right.

"Understood! Please be safe on your way home," Raeve yelled enthusiastically as he watched the pair disappear into the crowd.

Whatever it was that he got behind his ear tingled in anticipation.

~~~

"Are you sure you are doing the right thing by trusting that kid?"

Avy did not immediately answer Ares' question as she prioritized taking off the cloak that grew too stuffy to her liking. To her insufferable curse's protest, they did not stay in the town square any longer after she deemed their little encounter with the bi-color-haired boy sufficient for the night.

"That one values money more than you think. More than he himself believes, in fact," Avy answered as she folded the cloak before setting it down next to the grey feline who was resting on the foot of her bed. Andras was no longer in her from the moment they arrived in the room.

"Get rid of it," she told the ball of fur and headed towards the bathroom connected to her chamber.

"I do not even want to ask how you knew that kid existed." She could still hear Ares' muffled voice through the bathroom door as she stripped the clothes that were starting to feel itchy on her skin. Choosing one of the nightgowns that were provided when she arrived which were hanging on a rack–Avy figured it was the maids who catered to her needs' doing–, she undid the spell cast on herself. She watched as her curls became more defined and her features began to sharpen back to their actual appearance.

She exited the bathroom with her hands full of the clothes she wore, making her way towards her bed and dropping it next to Andras for him to do the same as he did the cloak she gave him earlier. They cannot afford to be suspicious in the eyes of the king lest he tighten the security around them. Avy was actually relieved that Cartal thought that she was too obedient enough for him to be lenient and not take a lot of precautions.

Still, Avy opted not to leave even a trace of her going out in the middle of the night. She observed how the maids assigned to her watched her every move, as though they were tasked to report even the number of times she breathed throughout the day or the amount of hair that she left in the bathroom after she took a bath. Honestly, she would not be surprised if that was the case considering how Cartal seemed to struggle to keep his obsessiveness to himself.

Avy was not dumb and she was certainly awfully aware of her surroundings and how some people acted towards her. She knew how the young king's smile faltered every now and then. She noticed his kind eyes turning malicious when he thought she was not paying attention. The thing is, Avy always paid attention. She is used to being alone most of the time and living in the city surely taught her to always feel around her.

Well, perhaps, being the person that she was who actively tried to stay away from others, she learned how to read people to gauge their intentions before they even spoke. She mostly left all the socializing to Lucy or in some cases, her mom. Not a lot of people really looked forward to engaging in a conversation with her anyway.

"He knows that you are wearing a different face," she heard Ares remark from the bug couch he silently declared as his. "His eye did not see through your disguise, but he knew that there was something wrong about your appearance."

"I figured as much," she replied as she rummaged through the small drawer in the vanity table near the bed. She pulled out a couple of papers hidden in the far back, and seeing how none of the things she put to hide them were out of place, she was pretty confident that the maids did not go through it to search for anything suspicious.

Ares did not speak more after that, choosing to sleep rather than to converse with her more. Of course, Avy was aware that the dual-colored-haired boy knew that she was wearing a disguise. She knows him. He was one of the many reasons she came to Auxiviel, after all.

However, she did not expect him to be that... bright. It was because he–they did not have much of a personality when they were introduced in the novel. Even if they were simply written in a few chapters, there were no indications that they were even capable of smiling. They were nothing but killing machines designed to take on orders from whoever they swore their loyalty to.

He knew of King Cartal who was briefly mentioned in the novel as well, and she knew of his country. They were a considerably important part of the plot, a country that Kriseon went to war with in less than two years.

Auxiviel, being a closed country, was a perfect place for someone with as large ambition as Cartal. It was a place brimming with mana stones that a lot of powerful countries would kill to obtain. Not only were they beneficial for the citizens' lives, they could also become almost unstoppable weapons in war.

Moreover, King Cartal was not only ambitious, he was also crazy. He would do everything in his power to feed his greed, no matter how wrong, no matter how much blood is spilled. In less than a year of sitting on the throne, he began to create an army that consisted of children from the slums and of commoner backgrounds. Raeve, along with four others were some of the many young ones who were forced to wield a sword and train their magic to kill.

Of course, Kriseon won the war and was able to conquer Auxiviel and all the valuable magic stones in it, but not with a small casualty. There were a lot of lives that fell because of Cartal's trick hidden in his sleeves that no one, even the clever Emperor Lucian, knew about. Still, with the novel's protagonist on their side, they were able to recover and heal some of the damages they sustained.

Raeve and his companions, showing potential and talent, were taken in by the Arkwright Duchy under the wing of the Duke, Alton Arkwright. They were pardoned by the emperor thanks to the protection that the Arkwright Family bestowed them. They became knights who served the duchy which was why they did not simply fade into the background and were granted recognition by the author enough for them to be given names.

Avy could remember a couple of filler chapters dedicated to them due to the readers' insistence who wanted to know their backstories. It was the reason why Avy was adamant about taking them for herself. They were promising and useful. Strong enough to protect her if worse comes to worst.

She sat on her bed without taking her eyes off the papers in her hand. It had a detailed drawing of Auxiviel's capital along with the number of people and nobles that resided in it. It has everything that she asked for including the number of knights that guarded the palace, the time that they switched places and their breaks, and the intervals that it would be safe to sneak in without being caught. She knew that she made the right decision by hiring that man to do the job.

Even though he was quite an oddball.

"Ah, princess. What an honor to finally meet you again."

Avy was greeted by a man's familiar voice as she was led inside a room she did not recognize. The man with navy-colored hair who escorted her and Ares–Pier as he introduced himself–politely ushered them towards a small table where a maroon-haired man sat. It was Mercy.

He looked smaller now that she was in a better state of mind. Back then, her brain was working overtime due to several factors she needed to consider. Now that she studied the man's physique calmly, he did not look older than Ashton, and his lithe stature–that even the black cloak could not hide–did nothing to make him appear older.

The room was as empty as the room where they first met except for the small table and the chairs provided. Mercy, with the smallest grin on his face devoid of any noticeable expression, sat on the opposite side of the round table. The only thing that Avy could probably point out was that Mercy kept fidgeting in his seat.

It was as though he was not comfortable sitting upright on a chair and he would rather sprawl out on the floor like the last time Avy saw him. By the looks of it, she was pretty sure that Mercy was suffering from some kind of neurodevelopmental disorder. It was also probably the reason why he did not like any furniture or decoration inside his room as it must have made him feel overstimulated. Well, Avy was not a professional to be diagnosing random people. However, it might help if she knew how to deal with him if she wanted to negotiate.

"It was quite a surprise when you sent us a message through the communication stone I gave you last time," Mercy started. He looked like a doll that was programmed to speak and do nothing else.

"I heard that you do everything for a price," Avy responded, her voice flat as her eyes flew to Ares who stood in the far corner of the room along with the navy-haired man.

"Almost everything," Mercy corrected, emphasizing on the first word. "We do not participate in the slave trade."

"No innocent," he added, saying it like a mantra.

"Well, my request did not include sacrificing a person, did it?" Avy leaned back on her chair and watched as Mercy's lips quirked into an upward arch. It was the only feature of his that moved though and by normal people's standards, it was terrifying.

"Invading and gathering intel from a closed country did pose challenges. If not because of my talented ones, it would not have been possible." Mercy was then handed an envelope by Pier who walked up to them.

"However, the princess did provide a more than adequate compensation." The maroon-haired man slid the envelope on the table for her to pick up.

Although Avy was not fazed by the strange feeling the maroon-haired man gave off, she could not help but notice how his smile did not reach his dull, teal-colored soulless eyes. His voice also carried no emotion in them and even though it did every once in a while, it sounded as if it was forced. Like Mercy did not know when to put the right emotion in his sentences. Everything about him made him look too uncanny. It is as though a machine posing as a human to deceive others.

Most of all, Avy felt like she was sitting before a child filling in an adult's role.

"Would the princess find the results satisfactory, Fear is always open for any request."

Avy was certain that Mercy was eager to ditch the chair and lay down on the floor, hence, she took the last statement as the closing to their conversation. Scanning the contents of the envelope, she stood on her feet and gave an affirming nod to the strange man.

"I do prefer making acquaintances rather than enemies. So if you will." She spared them one last glance before walking out of the room, Ares hot on her heels.

However, before the door closed, she was able to catch a snippet of the conversation between Mercy and his aid.

"Your skills in conversing are becoming more flawless, brother."

"I tried my best, Pier."

Avy did not know what to feel about that bit of information. It simply seemed to add more reasons not to be intimidated by the man. No. He was starting to look more like a kid in her eyes.

~~~~

Y'ALL I AM SO SORRY FOR DISAPPEARING. I should have known this would happen when I decided to pursue being a lawyer. I also started to live on my own near campus so I was taking my time adjusting to things. The city is a scary place lol. Rest assured though, I will not, even if it kills me, abandon this story. I've been working on it for nearly five years and I refuse to let go.

Also, I did not edit this chapter with my editor because I AM SO BUSY WITH PENDING READINGS. Talk about changes, I used to binge-read novels and now I'm stuck reading the Constitution LMAO

So, please forgive me if this chapter is a little bit messy. I am a mess and my dear editor is not here to fix everything like the angel that she is. Please let me know what you think!

AND!! If I could shamelessly plug my friends' work, I'd really appreciate if you check out their account. aispecx is the name of the account, if you can find it, you can check my following since I follow them. Pretty please:D I know it's too much to ask, but I'd really love to see their account grow since they're really good writers. (It's ran by two lovely girls) Now, be a girls' girl and check it out!!